Champion Greyhound Who Took Home Thousands In Race Winnings Tests Positive For…Cocaine?

Athletes are always be looking for that edge, a way to get ahead of the competition. That comes in the form of elite equipment, trainers, training facilities, and often times performance-enhancing drugs. Even the world of Irish Greyhound Racing isn’t immune from PEDs.

Clonbrien Hero is a champion Irish greyhound who won his owner $35,339 (£26,000) before the Irish Greyhound Board decided to withhold those winnings after the dog tested positive for cocaine. I had absolutely no idea that giving dogs cocaine could provide a competitive advantage in the world of Greyhound Racing, but the Board apparently thinks there’s enough evidence of wrongdoing to open an inquiry.

The dog, Clonbrien Hero, reportedly tested positive on three separate occasions between June 24th and July 22nd. Trainer Graham Holland is totally refuting the allegations that he’d ever give one of his racing dogs Colombian’s finest white powder. Here’s what he had to say: ‘If you know you are going to be tested when you win a race, you are not going to administer cocaine to a greyhound. I’ve been training greyhounds for over 30 years and now I’m accused of doping them.” (via)

The Board isn’t necessarily accusing the trainer of giving his dog cocaine. Here’s what they had to say (via The Sun):

At this point in time in relation to Clonbrien Hero there has been adverse analytical findings, no further assumptions should be made beyond that and the case will now go forward to the control committee who are independent and will deal with the matter as they see fit.
“In the meantime it means that any dog that tests positive or shows up for an adverse analytical finding, any prize money that has been won is if you like frozen until the process is completed and the dog can’t race again until a clear test is evident from that dog.”

Dogs winning races on cocaine. 2017 has been a pretty weird year, but this has to rank amongst the strangest news stories out there in the past 12 months. Here’s Clonbrien Hero winning the Irish Independent Laurels, his biggest pay day of the Summer: